Deck 6: Organizational Cultures and Diversity

Question 1

Organizational culture is complex and cannot be defined as a set of norms regulating the behavior of the employees of a firm.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: In its most basic form, organizational culture can be defined as the shared values and beliefs that enable members to understand their roles in and the norms of the organization.

Question 2

Andre Laurent's research found that cultural differences actually are more pronounced among foreign employees working within the same multinational organization than among personnel working for firms in their native lands.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Andre Laurent's research supports Hofstede's conclusions. He found that cultural differences are actually more pronounced among foreign employees working within the same multinational organization than among personnel working for firms in their native lands.

Question 3

Individuals in a high collectivistic culture perform better when their values are in harmony with their managers.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: In contrast, managers are most effective in using clan control and behavior control in virtual teams whose members come from a "high collectivistic culture, i.e., a culture characterized by strong interpersonal ties and by collective achievement and responsibility."

Question 4

Having people with the right skills is essential to bring together a successful virtual team.

Question 5

Among international firms, which focus on exporting and producing abroad, cultural diversity has a relatively weak impact on their external relationships with potential buyers and foreign employees.

Question 6

One main benefit of diversity is the generation of more and better ideas.

Question 7

An example of a token group would be a group of male German bankers who are forecasting the economic outlook for a foreign investment.

Question 8

An example of a token group is a group of three American, three German, three British and three Japanese managers who are looking into oil exploration opportunities in Russia.

Question 9

A disadvantage of diversity is that it often leads to groupthink, which is social conformity and pressures on individual members of a group to conform and reach consensus.

Question 10

To manage a global team, international managers must take into consideration three factors: culture, communication, and trust.

Question 11

As firms began exporting to foreign clients, they became what Adler called "international corporations."

Question 12

As the diversity of a group increases, the likelihood of all members perceiving things in the same way increases sharply.

Question 13

Hofstede's research found that the national cultural values of employees have an insignificant impact on their organizational performance, and these values are easily changed by the organization.

Question 14

In the entry stage of group development, the focus is typically on decision making and implementation.

Question 15

Diverse and global teams are one of the most consistent sources of competitive advantage for any organization.

Question 16

Organizational cultures of MNCs are shaped by a number of factors, including the cultural preferences of the leaders and employees.

Question 17

A high collectivistic culture in found in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia.

Question 18

Guided missile organizational cultures generally are made up of cooperative project teams.

Question 19

Regardless of the external environment or their national culture, managers and employees must understand and follow their organization's culture to be successful.

Question 20

For a global retail company, a focused sale campaign on Christmas gift items would be effective in all of the company's markets.

Question 21

When UpJohn Company merged with Pharamcia AB, problems emerged forcing the partners to meet and talk about their cultural differences.This is an example which illustrates that:

A)Organizational culture clashes often occur when partners do not fully understand the culture of the new partner
B)Cultural differences are less pronounced among foreign employees working for the same multinational company
C)Organizational culture tends to moderate or erase the impact of national culture
D)Companies deliberately maintain distinct business cultures because they do not want one culture influencing the other

Question 22

Which of the following is not an advantage of virtual teams?

A)They can reduce problems associated with personality conflicts
B)They can keep a project moving around the clock
C)They provide a competitive advantage
D)They force managers to rely on subjective data when assessing team members' work

Question 23

Which of the following sets of characteristics is typical of French negotiators?

A)Look for a meeting of people, social competence is very important, persuasion through emotional appeal is employed
B)Trust is developed on the basis of frequent and warm interpersonal contact and transaction
C)A contract is viewed as a long-lasting relationship, socialization always precedes negotiations, which are characterized by an exchange of grand ideas and general principles, social competence is very important
D)Look for a meeting of minds, intellectual competence is very important, and a contract is viewed as a well-reasoned transaction

Question 24

To ensure good communication in global teams, managers should do all of the following except:

A)Hold an initial meeting in which all members introduce themselves and describe their jobs
B)Hold regular meetings throughout the project to ensure everyone is "on the same page"
C)Avoid the use of email, and use only video conferencing of telephone communication to avoid misunderstandings
D)Put the details of the project in writing

Question 25

_____ is a pattern of basic assumptions that are developed by a group as it learns to cope with problems of external adaptation and internal integration and that are taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to these problems.

A)Organizational culture
B)Organizational learning
C)Organizational change
D)Organizational structure

Question 26

Observed behavioral regularities are typified by the following except:

A)Common language
B)Terminology
C)Customer relations
D)Rituals

Question 27

'Dirigiste' is used to describe the _____ dimension.

A)Economics
B)Philosophical
C)Cultural
D)Structural

Question 28

Which of the following shows the identity dimension of corporate culture?

A)To put the demands of the job before the needs of the individual
B)To put the needs of the individual before the needs of the job
C)To identify with and uphold the expectations of the employing organizations
D)To strive for accuracy and attention to detail

Question 29

Implementing a set of values where employees are rewarded or punished according to their conformity with these values is found in the ______ management approach.

A)Clan control
B)Outcome control
C)Self-control
D)Behavior control

Question 30

Rules that dictate the dos and don'ts of employee behavior relating to areas such as productivity, customer relations, and intergroup cooperation, are characteristics associated with an organization's:

A)Ethics
B)Ambience
C)Culture
D)Structure

Question 31

Which of the following is not a possible management approach, according to Surinder Kahai?

A)Outcome control
B)Behavior control
C)Mind control
D)Clan control

Question 32

A widely held belief that has not been found to be accurate is that organizational culture:

A)Tends to erase the impact of national culture
B)Tends to be affected by national culture
C)Cannot easily change the cultural values employees bring to the workplace
D)Is different in different subsidiaries

Question 33

Organizational climate is reflected by:

A)The degree of cooperation between management and employees
B)Common language, terminology, and rituals
C)High product and service quality
D)The way participants interact with each other

Question 34

The United Kingdom shows the following characteristics regarding the corporate dimension:

A)Administrative
B)Industrial
C)Pragmatic
D)Commercial

Question 35

To build trust among virtual team members, managers should:

A)Deep-six the egos and be friendly
B)Build a shared mythology
C)Avoid long lags in responding, unilateral priority shifts, and failure to follow up on commitments
D)Keep the door open except when on private calls

Question 36

When individuals join a multinational corporation they bring their national culture, which greatly affects all of the following except:

A)Learned beliefs
B)Ethnicity
C)Attitudes and values
D)Behaviors

Question 37

Norms are reflected by things such as:

A)Common language, terminology, and rituals
B)How employees and customers should be treated
C)The amount of work to be done
D)By the way participants feel about the way they are treated by higher-level management

Question 38

Which of the following would be associated with the dimension of pragmatic conduct?

A)To put the expertise and standards of the employing organization first
B)To put the demands and expectations of the customers first
C)To comply with clear and definite systems
D)To pursue clear aims and objectives

Question 39

There are three aspects of organizational functions that seem to be especially important in determining an MNC's organizational culture.These are:

A)The general views that employees hold about the MNC's purpose, destiny, goals, and their places in them; the age of the organization; and the degree of cultural diversity among the members of the organization
B)The general relationship between the managers and rank-and-file employees in the organization; the degree of cultural diversity among the members of the organization; and the hierarchical system of authority that defines the roles of managers and subordinates
C)The degree of cultural diversity among the members of the organization; the age of the organization; and the strength of the organization's leadership
D)The general relationship between the employees and their organization; the hierarchical system of authority that defines the roles of managers and subordinates; and the general views that employees hold about the MNC's purpose, destiny, goals, and their places in them

Question 40

PepsiCo, personnel are expected to be cheerful, positive, enthusiastic, and have committed optimism.This is an example of:

A)Being influenced by the external environment
B)Trying to "fit-in"
C)A top-down form of management
D)Promoting community values

Question 41

Change in the incubator culture is:

A)Slow and calculated
B)Almost nonexistent
C)Moderate and methodological
D)Fast and spontaneous

Question 42

_____ cultures often create environments where participants thrive in an intense, emotional commitment to the nature of the work.

A)Eiffel Tower
B)Family
C)Guided missile
D)Incubator

Question 43

The family culture is foreign to most in:

A)China
B)United States
C)Venezuela
D)Turkey

Question 44

A(n) _____ organizational culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on equality and orientation to the person.

A)Incubator
B)Eiffel Tower
C)Family
D)Guided missile

Question 45

Which of the following describes the "ways of thinking and learning" in a guided missile culture?

A)Process oriented, creative, ad hoc, inspirational
B)Problem centered, professional, practical, cross-disciplinary
C)Logical, analytical, vertical, and rationally efficient
D)Intuitive, holistic, lateral, and error-correcting

Question 46

The following deal with largest, worldwide markets:

A)International Corporations
B)Domestic Corporations
C)Global Corporations
D)Multinational Corporations

Question 47

Which of the following describes the "relationships between employees" in a family corporate culture?

A)Diffuse relationships to organic whole to which one is bonded
B)Specific role in mechanical system of required interaction
C)Specific tasks in cybernetic system targeted on shared objectives
D)Diffuse, spontaneous relationships growing out of shared creative process

Question 48

_____ culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on the hierarchy and orientation to the person.

A)Family
B)Eiffel Tower
C)Incubator
D)Guided missile

Question 49

_____ culture is a project-oriented culture.

A)Family
B)Eiffel Tower
C)Guided missile
D)Incubator

Question 50

Eiffel Tower cultures are most commonly found in:

A)Northwestern European countries, such as Germany, Denmark, and France
B)Asian countries, such as Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan
C)South American countries, such as Brazil, Argentina, and Chile
D)North Atlantic countries, such as England, Ireland, and Canada

Question 51

As firms begin exporting to foreign clients and become what Adler calls "international corporations," they must:

A)Increase the standardization of products and services
B)Adapt their products but not their approach to those of the local market
C)Adapt their approach and products to those of the local market
D)Adapt their approach but not their products to those of the local market

Question 52

_____ culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on equality in the workplace and orientation to the task.

A)Guided missile
B)Family
C)Incubator
D)Eiffel Tower

Question 53

Which of the following describes the "attitude toward authority" in an Eiffel Tower corporate culture?

A)Status is achieved by individuals exemplifying creativity and growth
B)Status is achieved by project group members who contribute to a targeted goal
C)Status is ascribed to superior roles that are distant yet powerful
D)Status is ascribed to parent figures that are close and powerful

Question 54

The following are the steps outlined by Numeroff and Abrahams used during mergers and acquisitions except:

A)Establishing the purpose, goal, and focus of the merger
B)Developing mechanisms to identify the least important organizational structures and management roles
C)Determining who has authority over the resources needed for getting things done
D)Identifying the expectations of all involved parties and facilitate communication

Question 55

When it works well, the _____ culture can catalyze and multiply the energies of the personnel and appeal to their deepest feelings and aspirations.

A)Incubator
B)Guided missile
C)Eiffel Tower
D)Family

Question 56

_____ culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on the hierarchy and orientation to the task.

A)Incubator
B)Family
C)Guided missile
D)Eiffel Tower

Question 57

Under a(n) _____ culture, jobs are well defined, employees know what they are supposed to do, and everything is coordinated from the top.

A)Guided missile
B)Family
C)Eiffel Tower
D)Incubator

Question 58

According to Adler, the primary orientation of a global firm is:

A)Strategy
B)Price
C)Market
D)Product or service

Question 59

Trompenaars found that a(n) _____ organizational culture is common in countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Venezuela, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

A)Eiffel Tower
B)Family
C)Guided missile
D)Incubator

Question 60

As companies become what Alder calls "multinational firms," they often find that _____ tends to dominate all other considerations and the direct impact of culture may lessen slightly.

A)Quality
B)Serviceability
C)Durability
D)Price

Question 61

What is organizational culture and what are some of its major characteristics?

Question 62

The benefits or advantages of culturally diverse groups include the following except:

A)Enhanced creativity
B)Improved decision-making
C)Increased effectiveness of organization performance
D)Glass-ceiling protection

Question 63

Discuss findings of Hofstede and Andre Laurent about the relationship between national and organizational culture.

Question 64

Create a virtual team with two people from each of four countries, which you name.Include both individualistic and collectivistic cultures.List as many positives for your team as you can and explore the effects of each on the work of the team.

Question 65

A _____ group is a group in which there are individuals from three or more different ethnic backgrounds, such as three U.S., three German, three Uruguayan and three Chinese managers who are looking into mining operations in South America.

A)Homogeneous
B)Token
C)Multicultural
D)Bicultural

Question 66

Multicultural teams are most effective when they face tasks requiring:

A)Cost-cutting
B)Confidentiality
C)The application of routine technologies
D)Innovativeness

Question 67

When _____ occurs, group participants believe that their ideas and actions are correct and that those who disagree with them are either uninformed or deliberately trying to sabotage their efforts.

A)Group cognitive inertia
B)Group reverse vigilance
C)Groupthink
D)Static decision-making

Question 68

In the _____ stage of group development, attention may be directed more toward describing and analyzing the problem or task that has been assigned.

A)Entry
B)Work
C)Action
D)Reflection

Question 69

In the _____ stage of group development, the focus should be on building trust and developing team cohesion.

A)Entry
B)Work
C)Action
D)Reflection

Question 70

A _____ group is a group in which two or more members represent each of two distinct cultures, such as four Mexicans and four Taiwanese who have formed a team to investigate the possibility of investing in a venture.

A)Multicultural
B)Bicultural
C)Token
D)Homogeneous

Question 71

Global firms need:

A)Neither an internal nor an external diversity focus
B)Both an internal and an external diversity focus
C)An internal but not an external diversity focus
D)An external but not an internal diversity focus

Question 72

To unite a diverse set of employees in a pharmaceutical company under a common corporate culture, AstraZeneca's Global Steering Group has focused on three universal cultural pillars.Which of the following is not one of those pillars?

A)Leadership and Management Capability
B)Transparency in Talent Management and Career Progression
C)Work/Life Challenges
D)Insight Exchange

Question 73

What are the four types of organizational culture identified by Fons Trompenaars? Provide a brief description of each of these cultures.

Question 74

A _____ group is a group that is characterized by members who share similar backgrounds and generally perceive, interpret, and evaluate events in similar ways.

A)Multicultural
B)Bicultural
C)Token
D)Homogeneous

Question 75

Discuss some of the potential problems associated with diversity.